Student Care - General

One of the chief words in our mission statement is the word “caring”. This is inkeeping with our strong commitment to Christian values and beliefs. Every studentin our College is regarded as precious, to their parents, to the staff of the school,and to God. Our pastoral care system within the College reflects these coreconcerns. In one sense the entire College programme is part of pastoral care, orlooking after the needs of students. There are, however, some structures which weemploy for the more specific “shepherding” that takes place at our College.

Within our College we have three sub-section student coordinators:Junior Years (P-5); Middle Years (6-9); and Senior Years (10-12) - who assist withstudent welfare and behaviour management. The Head of Junior, Campus Administrator, College Chaplain, College Counsellor

Student Care Prep - Year 6

The class teacher is the main person concerned for monitoring the social, emotionaland spiritual needs of the students in their class. Teachers communicate openly withparents through class newsletters, email and via phone as needed. Reports at theend of the year are generated at this level and parents should feel free, at suitabletimes, to approach or contact their children’s teachers about any issue concerningtheir welfare and growth.

Student Care Year 7 - 12

Pastoral care in these year levels aims to encourage students to care for each otherand for staff to support students on welfare related matters.

One aspect of this is the regular sessions each week spent in pastoral care groups,during which students engage in a range of activities geared towards enhancingtheir personal development. Such activities include devotions, study and homeworkprogram, drug and alcohol education, bullying and harassment topics, as well asgroup thinking games and some inter-house competitions. In addition to the PCsessions, one morning session is spent in Chapel and one morning is Assembly.

Our pastoral care structure places students into what is known as vertical caregroups - at Years 8/9 and Years 10-12 - based on College House membership.The intention is for students to remain in the same care group for the duration oftheir schooling at GSLC, progressing each year to the next within the same group.

We have a vertical care system for a wide variety of reasons:• the opportunity for new students to be helped by older students in their caregroup, to make a smooth transition into GSLC• increased opportunity for students and their families to build long termrelationships with their care group staff• positive role modelling by older students in relation to care, leadership,approach to school and study• the opportunity for students to develop and utilise leadership skills within theirgroup as they become more senior students.

Parents are encouraged to make contact with their student’s Pastoral Care Teacheror House Leader to discuss any student welfare related concerns.